Hinduism

Hinduism
Name	Hinduism
Caption	Temple gopuram at Madurai (Meenakshi Amman Temple)
Type	Dharmic religion
Origin	Indian subcontinent
Regions	India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Mauritius
Scriptures	Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata
Followers	Approximately 1.2 billion (2020s)

Hinduism is a major religious and cultural tradition originating on the Indian subcontinent with diverse doctrines, practices, and institutions. It encompasses a wide array of beliefs ranging from ritual devotion to philosophical monism and includes texts, rites, and social structures developed over millennia. Communities associated with this tradition have shaped and been shaped by the histories of Maurya Empire, Gupta Empire, Chola dynasty, Mughal Empire, and modern states such as the Republic of India and Kingdom of Nepal.

Etymology and Definitions

The English name derives from the River Indus and the Persian designation for the region; early Western scholarship used terms like "Indu" and "Sanatana Dharma" in studies connected to Orientalism and scholars such as Max Müller and Sir William Jones. Modern academic definitions vary: some frame it through canonical corpora like the Vedas and Upanishads, others by social institutions exemplified by the varna and ashrama frameworks described in texts such as the Manusmriti. Legal and constitutional treatments in the Republic of India and the Kingdom of Nepal treat it as a set of traditions encompassing multiple sects and communities, reflected in census categorizations by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India.

History

Archaeological and textual evidence traces development from the late Harappan and Vedic period interactions through classical syntheses in the eras of the Maurya Empire and the Gupta Empire. The composition of the Vedas and later the Upanishads informed the rise of ritual and philosophical schools followed by movements recorded in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Medieval developments included devotional bhakti movements associated with figures like Ramanuja, Madhva, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and regional courts of the Chola dynasty and Vijayanagara Empire. Encounters with the Islamic conquests of the Indian subcontinent and the Mughal Empire led to syncretic exchanges evident in art and literature. Colonial-era transformations under the British Raj prompted reform movements exemplified by the Brahmo Samaj and the Arya Samaj, while independence-era leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and institutions like the Indian National Congress engaged with religious identity in modern nation-building.

Scriptures and Texts

Canonical and supplementary literatures include the Vedas (Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda), the philosophical Upanishads, the epic Mahabharata and its episode the Bhagavad Gita, and the narrative Ramayana. Smriti texts such as the Manusmriti, the Dharmashastra corpus, and regional Puranas like the Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana shaped law and ritual. Commentarial traditions include works by philosophers such as Adi Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhvacharya, and medieval commentators on texts like the Tirukkural. Tantric and Agamic literatures influenced temple ritual and iconography found in sources associated with Shaiva Agamas and Shakta tantras. Pilgrimage guides and regional bhakti compositions by poets such as Mirabai, Kabir, and Tulsidas broadened vernacular textuality.

Beliefs and Practices

Doctrinal plurality spans concepts like Brahman and Atman in monistic schools and theistic devotion to deities including Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Krishna, and regional forms such as Murugan and Kartikeya. Soteriological goals include moksha in Vedantic frameworks, liberation practices articulated by Yoga systems codified in texts like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and devotional bhakti paths promoted by movements linked to saints such as Ramanuja and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Ritual life integrates rites of passage (samskaras), temple worship in centers such as Varanasi and Rameswaram, domestic puja, festival celebrations like Diwali, Holi, and pilgrimage circuits including the Char Dham and the Kumbh Mela. Ethical norms are informed by dharma discussions in texts like the Mahabharata and legal traditions that featured in colonial adjudication by courts such as the Privy Council.

Sects and Traditions

Major denominational families include Vaishnavism, with traditions such as the Sri Vaishnava and Gaudiya Vaishnavism lineages; Shaivism, represented by schools like Shaiva Siddhanta and Kashmir Shaivism; and Shaktism, centered on goddess worship including movements tied to Tantric practices. Philosophical sampradayas include Advaita Vedanta, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita Vedanta, and other darshanas articulated by thinkers like Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya. Regional devotional traditions include the Alvars and Nayanars in South India, the Sant tradition in Maharashtra and North India, and local kula and tribal practices integrated into broader temple systems such as those patronized by the Chola dynasty.

Cultural Influence and Demographics

Practices and institutions associated with this tradition have influenced South Asian arts, architecture, and law across polities like the Maurya Empire, Gupta Empire, Chola dynasty, and modern states including the Republic of India and Nepal. Temple architecture traditions appear in monuments such as the Brihadeeswarar Temple and Khajuraho Group of Monuments; classical performing arts were theorized in the Natya Shastra and continue in forms like Bharatanatyam and Kathak. Contemporary demographics concentrate adherents in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia (particularly Bali), and diaspora communities in Mauritius, the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada, with census documentation by agencies such as the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India and statistical studies by institutions like the Pew Research Center. Debates over secularism, minority rights, and cultural heritage have engaged courts like the Supreme Court of India and political movements within the Republic of India.

Category:Religions